Vegetarian


Welcome to Vegetarian - one of our "Food Issues" info pages (see menu to the right for other topics).

These Food Issues pages are designed to give you a little food for thought about some of the issues involved with sustainable eating. Think of these pages as a taster for each issue: just some brief info to introduce the concept and whet your appetite.
After sampling each issue, you may like to move onto the next "taster" or sink your teeth into some more substantial fare by using the links on each page.
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Whether to become vegetarian is one of the most controversial and challenging questions for many people considering eating more sustainably.
Although people use the term pretty loosely, vegetarian basically means someone who does not eat meat or flesh or anything which involves killing of an animal.
So a complete vegetarian will not eat red meat, chicken or fish - or anything which contains these products such as stocks or sauces. They also avoid products with animal renet (made from stomach lining) which is in most cheeses, and geletine which is all many dessert and confectionary products.
Some people only eat fish and call themselves "vegetarian". While it's not worth arguing about semantics, this is really not correct and can increase confusion. If this is you, why not call yourself "veg-aquarian"?
A vegan is someone who does not eat any animal products at all, including dairy, eggs or honey.
For a surprising insight into the unlikely things which contain animal products, check out the Animal Products List.
People become vegetarian for all sorts of reasons including animal welfare, environmental concerns and health.
The basic concept behind eating a plant-based diet for sustainability is that meat is generally less efficient to produce.
Farming methods differ, but in general meat production will require more of our scarce resources such as water, animal feed and land. Meat also requires vast land clearing which involves habitat destruction, salinisation and soil erosion. Effluent disposal from intensive animal farming operations is a major problem and can lead to severe pollution of waterways and ground water.
Many people struggle with this one. On one hand they can see the issues associated with eating meat - but they don't feel like becoming a vegetarian is right for them.
The good news is, eating some vegetaian meals is a great start!
Never let the fact that you can't do everything
stop you from doing something!
So you don't need to change your whole life to have an impact in terms of meat consumption.
Why not just try eating a few vegetarian meals per week and see how it goes?
Another great step would be to only eat free range meats, which means that the animal had a far more natural and less cruel life.
Of course this page doesn't even scratch the surface of the issue, so for more info check out:

Peter Singer and Jim Mason's book The Ethics of What We Eat, is a great read if you're up for some more detailed information. Surprisingly accessible and easy to read, the book starts with a standard meal enjoyed by three very different families and trace its ingredients back through the production process to see what ethical issues arise. Containing essential information on ethical but practical shopping and dining, The Ethics of What We Eat will forever change the way you look at food.

posted by Greens WA @